It May Be Time for Lakers to part with Odom
Written by Cornelius Turner http://www.blacksportsonline.com
The dream is dead. You guys know what the dream was. It was the dream that Lamar Odom would develop into Kobe’s Scottie Pippen. You see Kobe Bryant’s skill level and ability to dominate, and whether you like Kobe the man or not, you know that Kobe Bryant the basketball player is about as good as it gets. For 3 years now, with that fact realized, people have been waiting for Lamar Odom to fill the role of Scottie Pippen. In fact, it dates back further than 3 years. Lamar Odom came into the NBA as a 6’10 do it all forward from New York, a la the 6’7 Scottie Pippen. He was supposed to be a guy who you could build a team around for years to come. Fast forward to today and all Lamar Odom has been is a study in frustration for fans, media, and personnel guys alike. Oh, I’m a huge fan of Lamar Odom which is why I realize for Kobe Bryant to get back to the championship level his detractors think he will never see again, the Lakers have to look at Lamar Odom’s role and whether their expectations for him are realistic. It is my opinion that Lamar Odom will never develop into that consistent #2 option that a star needs for a team to be consistently great. As it stands now, Lamar Odom’s career averages are 15.8ppg and 6.8 rebounds. Solid numbers to be sure, but he is so much more than that. The frustrating thing about Lamar Odom is that the tools are there. As already stated he is 6’10 and can swing between the small and the big forward. He has the ability to push the ball up the court off of the rebound as well as be a finisher on the break. But none of this has translated into “greatness”. All we get is flashes of greatness. A move here or there that makes you wonder, why isn’t this guy a 20 point scorer in this league and consistently dominating games?
In the last 2 years, whether during the off-season or near the trade deadline, Lamar Odom’s name has surfaced in trade rumors. The most notable trade rumor has been in a package for Kevin Garnett. And to my confusion, the Lakers have held onto Odom as have mentioned him as one of their untouchable assets. This has always baffled me. Kevin Garnett, for all of his failures, is a bona fide great player. Say what you will about his post-season success, but one thing you can’t say about Garnett is that he is inconsistent or an underachiever. You know when you step out on the court with KG what you are going to get. You are going to get all out passion and consistent contributions on a nightly basis. The Lakers simply can not say that about Lamar Odom. You don’t know if you are going to get the Lamar Odom who is going to get you 18-20 points and 10 rebounds or the Odom who is going to play passively and barely impact the game. As I watch the Suns – Lakers series, it is quite evident that whether Kobe Bryant takes 31 shots or 13 shots that the Lakers simply can not compete because they lack another great player to play alongside Mr. Darth. What made the Bulls impossible to beat when Mike and the Bulls were running through the league is that you couldn’t just throw 3 guys at MJ without Pippen either scoring on you or making the play – consistently.
I almost feel guilty for injecting these thoughts about Lamar Odom because of the rough off-season he has had to endure last summer. Losing a family member let alone your own child has to be something far worse than devastating. I can not even fathom having to bury my infant son. So I say all of what I have said with respect to that situation. But in terms of basketball, he is more suited for a non-pressure role, a la the role he had in Miami in Dwayne Wade’s rookie year. In an indicting statement, Eddie Jones (yeah, that Eddie Jones) and Dwayne Wade were the primary scores and Lamar Odom was allowed just to fit in. The team winning or losing was not determined by whether he got 20 points. As a result, he has his best year as a pro in terms of individual and team success. As long as the Lakers tie themselves to Odom as their 2nd best player, they will continue to reap the same results. Kobe Bryant will continue to see 3 defenders with the other team demonstrating absolutely no fear in sending 2 extra defenders at Kobe Bryant because of a lack of another great player being on the same court as Kobe Bryant...........................
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Get rid of him
